Bryant Knox previews the Portland Trail Blazers Feb. 8 matchup against the Houston Rockets. These two teams have faced off twice this year, and Portland has come out on top both times. Each team is fighting for the final playoff spots out West, and the winner of this one will be that much closer to acheiving their goal of the postseason. The key matchup in this one is between J.J. Hickson and Omer Asik, although watching Wesley Matthews defend James Harden will be fun to watch for all fans.

NWSB Blogger and NBA insider Steve Lee reports in with his third installment of the 2012/13 NBA season on the Northwest hoops stars making noise in the NBA. This time he’s going with the young guns, highlighting their hopeful rise to fame in the NBA. So far, none of the recent draft picks have seen a ton of time for their respective teams, most seeing action in the NBDL. But there’s hope for them, as injuries, blowouts, and good showings will give them more NBA action.